Ethiopia, Somalia relations improve

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuters) -- Somalia Foreign Minister Ismael Hurreh Buba said talks in Addis Ababa with Ethiopian government officials had "cleared all suspicions" between the two Horn of Africa states. Hurreh, representing the new provisional government for Somalia, formed after a meeting of Somali clan and community leaders held recently in neighboring Djibouti, was speaking late on Saturday after three days of talks in the Ethiopian capital.

"We covered all areas of concern to both countries and virtually agreed on all points raised," he told reporters.

He said Somalia's new government would do all possible to remove any elements trying to use Somali territory as a springboard to threaten security in Ethiopia.

Relations between the two countries had been strained since the 1970s, when Somalia launched a war designed to capture the Ogaden region of south-eastern Ethiopia. Somalia was defeated in 1978 by the Ethiopian armed forces supported by the then Soviet Union.

From Addis Ababa the Somali delegation left for Yemen, where they were to join Somali President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan in talks with Yemeni leaders. They also hope to secure the support of some Somali warlords -- including Hussein Aideed and Osman Atto -- who have refused to recognize the new Somali government.

"We regard good relations with Ethiopia as essential and we must have an effective dialogue with our neighbor," Hurreh said.

The new Somali provisional government faced a three-year transitional period, during which relations with the country's regions would be developed, he said. The current priorities were to establish peace and security and to restructure the organs of government for Somalia.

The breakaway Republic of Somaliland and the warlords now controlling different parts of Somalia would be invited to settle their differences and restore national unity, he added.

Hurreh said he hoped the Inter-Government Authority on Development -- which groups states in the Horn of Africa region -- would declare its support for the new Somali government when it meets in Khartoum later this week.

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